Mailbag: Judging Dak's downfield throws? 

(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)

It seems to me that Dak Prescott struggles a bit when throwing the deep ball. I rarely remember him hitting someone in stride as they streak down the field. I feel like the majority of his deep throws (40 yards or more) either fall short, or the receiver has to make an acrobatic catch. I don't think Dak is known for having a strong arm as much as he is for his accuracy. What is your take on that?– Mark Somma /Winchester, VA**

Nick: I'm not a black-or-white guy. Just because you're not cold, doesn't mean you're hot. Just because you're not skinny, doesn't make you overweight. There's always some in-between and this is a perfect example of that. Would you say Dak is the best at throwing the deep ball? I don't think that's the case. But to steal your words, I don't think he "struggles" throwing it deep.

There's always some middle ground. I do think Dak has other parts of his game that are better than the deep ball down the field. I know there are some statistics that might say differently but I have seen where some metrics call passes 25+ yards a "deep ball". To me, anything over 40 is what I call a deep pass and that's one where Dak doesn't have the best touch on it. It's not to say he doesn't throw a great pass, it's just not always on target and in-stride.

Then again, is that always Dak's fault? Was the route run correctly? Do they have the best timing with his receivers? Not to throw any particular superstar under the bus but when a certain quarterback and certain receiver were both in contract negotiations last training camp, one was there every day and the other was not. Sure might've helped with the timing a little bit. And you factor in Brandin Cooks getting hurt and missing time, those are big factors with a quarterback and his timing.

Sure, he could have better touch on those deep passes, but I think it's a two-way street for sure, with both the quarterback and his receivers.

Kurt: I'm not sure why, but Prescott has regularly received criticism throughout his career for being bad at throwing deep, which the NFL defines as any completion of 20 yards or longer. But the statistics would say otherwise.

Remember, last year he was limited to only eight games due to injury, but if we look back to 2023 when Prescott played in all 17 contests, he finished seventh in the league with a 126.3 passer rating when throwing deep. In fact, according to Next Gen Stats, he had a 137.9 mark when throwing deep middle and 132.4 when going deep right. The NFL average was 82.4 and 79.5 in those areas, respectively.

In addition, Pro Football Focus ranked Prescott 10^th with a 95.3 grade on deep throws in 2023, but his 96.9 grade from 2022 to 2024 is tied for third in the PFF ratings. You can also look at his Turnover Worthy Play Rate (passes that had a high chance of being intercepted) on those longer tosses in 2023. According to PFF, that percentage was just 3.3, one of the lowest in the NFL, despite Prescott having 82 long passing attempts, the third most.

Sure, you're going to see receivers make adjustments on those deep balls and of course bail out the quarterback on occasion. Then again, how many times do we see wideouts fail to come up with catchable balls?

The point is, this continued talk about Prescott not having a big arm or being unable to excel throwing deep seemingly just doesn't hold water, based on the numbers. And now, given he has one of the best deep-ball receivers in the game at his disposal in George Pickens, imagine what might lie ahead.